LETTERS for June 17 issue

June 17, 2010

A recent editorial pushed for the terrific idea of voters actually electing candidates from their own district — what a great idea. This will probably never happen. The good old boys that got in on their daddy’s coattails will never let that happen.

The majority of votes come from the Central Maui area, and so far, from that area, Mike Victorino is running unopposed. Two other Kahului residents who have access to mailboxes in Lahaina are running for the West Maui seat on the council.

Sol Kaho‘ohalahala has served his whole term under questionable residency, and seems to have done as good a job as anyone in the council at getting through the term and only spending over $500 million a year to run the island. Congratulations!

So, since Kahului and Wailuku voters hold the power of majority, it’s obvious that fair district representation is a farce.

But in the end, people will question the honesty of a candidate — who has falsely represented his residency — as a liar right from the start. Think it over before you endorse these candidates.

JACK BAILEY, Lahaina

MAUI NEEDS STRONG LEADERS

We the people of Maui are ready for our leaders to put us first. We need someone who is a servant of the people, unwavering in commitment for freedom and truth.

“The true measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”-Martin Luther King.

We need people with a strong sense of unity and respect for traditions. An elected person is never above the people but humbly below the people for whom he or she serves. To serve is an honor; to gain the public trust a responsibility to always stand up for what is true — for what is pono. In this world there are no guaranties, and what we gain is of little value if we don’t have love for one another.

Our legacy is our greatest gift if we live our lives not for self but as an example of what we as humans can achieve by being selfless and giving back much more than we have been blessed with. Working together as a team is like a room full of instruments — some may excel alone, but none can match the symphonic sound made when all are playing together. We need people who will be diligent to listen and learn, then apply truth in every situation, no matter what.

I believe in reinstating the values that made our nation great. We need to care for our most vulnerable citizens: our keiki, the elderly, disabled and our veterans. Truly, the number one concern for any generation is to leave this world in a better place then when we were here.

Instead, our country is $13 trillion in debt, because our government will not govern within its means. Is that what we want to leave our keiki?

Studies show the fall of great civilizations all started with moral decline. Does Hawaii want to be the leader of homosexual marriage? A wise man, Albert Einstein, once said, “Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to our life.”

In conclusion, if we the people will humble ourselves before God and pray for forgiveness, we may ask God to heal our ‘ohanas, our ‘aina. And God will be faithful.

CHAYNE MARTEN, Maui Green Team

ROTARIANS SUPPORT MAUI YOUTH

I would like to express my warmest and sincerest mahalo to the Rotary Club of Lahaina, Mr. and Mrs. Endsley, and Mrs. Linda Quinn for their generous donation. Their support in sponsoring my travel to and from Istanbul (Turkey) has made it possible for me to attend the Fifth World Youth Congress from July 31 through Aug. 13.

The World Youth Congress is a program focused on youth and sustainable development. It’s a global gathering of 1,000 young people from more than 100 countries. I have been selected to attend as a Hawaii Young Activist Delegate. We are coming together to share cultures, languages, ideas, peace and friendship. The program is designed to inspire and empower young adults to take a dynamic role in both the local and international community.

The Rotary Club of Lahaina presented their generous support at their weekly lunch meeting, and they so kindly welcomed me to take part. Also invited to that meeting were a number of Rotary scholarship recipients from the Class of 2010. Each recipient talked about their future plans in college and how the scholarship is a tremendous help. It was deeply moving to see how, despite the current economic condition, the Rotary Club has been a beacon of hope with their unrelenting support.

So, another huge mahalo to the Rotary Club of Lahaina for investing in the future of these young minds.

That would positively reduce any traffic backup whatsoever. It also would reduce (unnecessary) pollution by having traffic go smoothly, and it would increase safety of pedestrians tremendously.

Building two pedestrian bridges at Honoapiilani Highway and Lahainaluna Road and altering the intersection into a circle traffic would take less than a month and less than a few hundred thousand dollars. And, the problem would be solved permanently!

In the long run, lots of gas would be saved, and emission and pollution dramatically reduced.

Why didn’t any of our elected politicians think of that? It had to be “an ordinary citizen!”

DR. GEORG WOODMAN, Taiwan/Kihei

HIRE LOCAL PEOPLE

I am from Lahaina. I have lived here for 15 years and truly call it home. I am so blessed to live here.

I am a waitress like so many others. I am writing this letter to the readers and servers in Lahaina. What happened to the good people who work hard in their job? Being a waitress is fun — we meet many people who come to us.

We want to show them a great time with great food, knowing that when they come back, they want to see our smiling faces.

We work so hard — sometimes without breaks. We deal with kitchen problems. Some days are very stressful, yet we do it knowing that in these hard times, lots of us lost our jobs with restaurants closing. So we hit the beat trying to look for a new great place to work.

What happened to all the good management we had? All the good local people who knew us, how hard we work and where we worked. Now, you go down Front Street and you’re dealing with a 28-year-old, not even from Maui, who has no aloha at all (the rude Mainland outlook).

What happened to the good days, when you show that you work at your place for years? We are good workers. I love what I do. I will show up, be grateful, listen and learn. So, I ask the Lahaina people — what happened to all the good, hardworking, caring people that ran our restaurant? When we walked in, they were happy to see us — there was aloha.

We have so many nice local people here in Maui. Why are you bringing them from the Mainland? We are not bitter girls because we didn’t get the job. It’s so sad to see what has happened in our field.

We just want to work and live on beautiful Maui. I thank all the local people for all your aloha, and the other nice people, but we have to do this to get a job.